On June 27, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved its FY2014 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. The bill includes funding for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The bill provides $44.1 billion in discretionary spending, which is $7.7 billion below FY2013 enacted level and $13.9 billion below the President’s 2014 budget request. This level is $4.4 billion below the level caused by the automatic sequestration cuts. The bill now heads to the House floor for consideration. The House version of the appropriations legislation is $10 billion lower than the Senate version of the bill.

Highlights of the bill:

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

The bill includes $15.3 billion in discretionary appropriations for the Department of Transportation for FY2014. This is $2.6 billion or 15% below the FY2013 enacted level and $7.4 billion below the President’s FY2014 request.

·Highways – the bill provides $41 billion from the Highway Trust Fund to be spent on the Federal Highway program, which is the level authorized by MAP-21. This is an increase of $557 million from FY2013.

·Transit – the legislation contains $2 billion for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which is $329.7 million below the FY2013 enacted level. The bill also allows $8.6 billion in state and local transit grant funding from the Mass Transit Account (of the Highway Trust Fund), consistent with MAP-21, to help local communities build, maintain, and ensure the safety of their mass transit systems. The legislation provides $1.82 billion for Capital Investment Grants for “New Starts”, which include funding for state and local Small Starts projects and funding for major transit capital investments, including rapid rail, light rail, bus rapid transit, and commuter rail, that are planned and operated by local communities.

·Essential Air Service – the appropriations bill includes $100 million for the Essential Air Service program, which is $35 million below the FY2013 enacted level and $46 million below the President’s FY2014 budget request.

·Rep. Price (D-NC)– amendment to restore funding for the TIGER grant program to $500 million and to eliminate the $237 million rescission of FY13 TIGER funding. The amendment did not have any offsetting cuts to pay for the increase. The amendment failed by a party-line vote of 21 to 27.

·Rep. Quigley (D-IL)– amendment to add $120 million to the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants account to fully fund the new core capacity program authorized by the MAP-21. The amendment did not have a funding offset to pay for the increase. The amendment was defeated by a voice vote.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

The legislation includes a total of $28.5 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a decrease of $5 billion or 15% below the FY2013 enacted level and $3 billion below the level caused by the sequestration.

·Community Planning and Development – includes $4.8 billion for Community Planning and Development programs, which is $1.9 billion below last year’s level and $1.6 billion below the level caused by sequestration. The Community Development Block Grant formula program is funded at $1.6 billion, which is a cut of $1.3 billion below the FY2013 enacted level. Additionally, the bill does not include $75 million in funding for the Integrated Planning and Investment Strategy (IPI) Grant program that was requested in the President’s FY2014 budget request.

HUD Amendments Offered:

Rep. Fattah (D-PA) – amendment to restore HUD-CDBG funding to the FY2012 level of $3.4 billion.The amendment did not have any offsetting cuts to pay for the increase. The amendment failed by a party-line vote of 21 to 27.